Tutorial — How to install a Validator node on the Aptos network for beginners — Incentivized Testnet 2

Video Tutorial

As you already know, the tesnet incentive series on the Aptos network has already started, I’m giving you the opportunity to try to be selected for each of these series through my tutorial.

Who am I

I am passionate about the world of blockchain and I would like to share my passion and research with you through my articles in giving you my perception and opening new doors to very early crypto projects.

Discord: Akabane#3147

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Introduction to Aptos Labs

Aptos is a new, independent project to fulfill our vision of delivering the safest and most production-ready blockchain in the world.

Discord: Akabane#3147

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Part 01: How order and configure your VPS server in 2 minutes

Before installing the node you need to rent a VPS server
The advantages of VPS are that they have high availability and are easy to configure.
Of course I’ll explain how to rent a VPS server at a lower cost and especially how to configure it in less than 2 minutes.

Let’s go…

Order your VPS on Contabo by clicking here.

To be completely transparent with you this is an affiliate link that you can use even if you already have an account on Contabo. Thank you in advance.

Select Cloud VPS M

1 month for the rental period, you can extend later if needed

Do not change anything for the geolocation of your VPS server

Select 400GB SSD for storage type

Select Ubuntu 20.04

Generate your passport and copy and paste it now into a notepad that will be saved on your computer

Don’t touch anything

Don’t touch anything and click on “NEXT”

If you are new to Contabo and you are an individual, do not touch anything

Fill in the fields with your personal data

Finish filling in the last fields with your personal information and click on Next button to proceed to payment

Once you have finished paying for your order. You will receive a first email.

Corresponding to the status of your order

And approximately 15 minutes later you will receive a second email with all the information to connect to your VPS.

The login details to connect on your VPS

Part 02: How to connect to your VPS

With MacOS:

MacOS includes already a SSH command. To connect via SSH from this operating system, first open the Terminal window. You can find this tool by going to “ Application->Utilities->Terminal”.

With Windows : I invite you to download Putty by clicking “here” (You can directly download the installation file with this link).

This is the file illustrated in the image above, if you wish to download another one click on this “link”

Now open the .exe file to start the installation of Putty and follow the instructions to complete the installation. At the end of the installation you will have a shortcut to Putty on your desktop.

Now launch Putty

Launch Putty, a new window will open in which you will enter the IP address of your VPS and click on Open

The interface of your server will open and will ask you for the login details.

Now you are finally on your server (see image below):

Tip 1: To paste any command that you have already copied above, just right-click where you want to paste the command

Tip 2: Only paste or write a command when your vps server allows it. As soon as “root@vmxxxxxxxxx: “is visible you can write otherwise you have to wait

In this example you have permission to write or paste a command

Now you are ready to get serious. You just have to paste one by one the commands that I put at your disposal below. Take your time and make sure you have taken the order from start to finish.
To help you I have put some screenshots showing the result you should get each time you paste a command.

Best of luck…

Part03: Preparation

Update packages:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Intall dependencies:

sudo apt-get install jq unzip -y

Screen installation

sudo apt install screen

when he asks you to press Y and then ENTER on your keyboard

Install git:

apt install git

Press Y and Enter

Install cargo:

apt install cargo

Press Y and Enter

Part04: Download Aptos Core prepare your developer environment

Clone the Aptos Repo:

git clone https://github.com/aptos-labs/aptos-core.git

And

cd aptos-core

Prepare your developer environment

./scripts/dev_setup.sh

Press y and Enter

Update your current shell environment

source ~/.cargo/env

Part05: Setup Your Validator Node

Checkout the testnet

git checkout --track origin/testnet

Create a directory for your Aptos node composition

export WORKSPACE=testnet
mkdir ~/$WORKSPACE

Generate key pairs

cargo run --release -p aptos -- genesis generate-keys --output-dir ~/$WORKSPACE

This will create three files: private-keys.yaml, validator-identity.yaml, validator-full-node-identity.yaml for you. IMPORTANT: Backup your key files somewhere safe. These key files are important for you to establish ownership of your node, and you will use this information to claim your rewards later if eligible. Never share those keys with anyone else.

Open “private-Keys.yaml” with this command:

sudo nano /root/testnet/private-keys.yaml

Save all information in a notepad and Press CTRL+X to quit

Open “validator-identity.yaml” with this command:

sudo nano /root/testnet/validator-identity.yaml

Save all information in a notepad and Press CTRL+X to quit

Open “validator-full-node-identity” with this command:

sudo nano /root/testnet/validator-full-node-identity.yaml

Save all information in a notepad and Press CTRL+X to quit

I save the all information in a notepad like below:

Example

Part6: Configure your Validator

cargo run --release -p aptos -- genesis set-validator-configuration \
    --keys-dir ~/$WORKSPACE --local-repository-dir ~/$WORKSPACE \
    --username xxxxxxxxxxx\
    --validator-host 35.232.235.205:6180 \
    --full-node-host 34.135.169.144:6182

Replace xxxxxx by your “node name” like the example below:

cargo run --release -p aptos -- genesis set-validator-configuration \
    --keys-dir ~/$WORKSPACE --local-repository-dir ~/$WORKSPACE \
    --username jackal\
    --validator-host 35.232.235.205:6180 \
    --full-node-host 34.135.169.144:6182

This will create a YAML file in your working directory with your username

Please check wtih this command:

sudo nano /root/testnet/xxxxxxxxx.yaml

Replace xxxxxx by your “node name” like the example below:

sudo nano /root/testnet/jackal.yaml

Save all information in your notepad!!! Please CTRL+X to quit

Create layout YAML file, which defines the node in the validator. Set, for test mode, we can create a genesis blob containing only one node

vi ~/$WORKSPACE/layout.yaml

Output

Paste the following information into this new window:

---
root_key: "F22409A93D1CD12D2FC92B5F8EB84CDCD24C348E32B3E7A720F3D2E288E63394"
users:
  - "xxxxxx"
chain_id: 40
min_stake: 0
max_stake: 100000
min_lockup_duration_secs: 0
max_lockup_duration_secs: 2592000
epoch_duration_secs: 86400
initial_lockup_timestamp: 1656615600
min_price_per_gas_unit: 1
allow_new_validators: true

Replace xxxxxx by your “node name” like the example below:

---
root_key: "F22409A93D1CD12D2FC92B5F8EB84CDCD24C348E32B3E7A720F3D2E288E63394"
users:
  - "jackal"
chain_id: 40
min_stake: 0
max_stake: 100000
min_lockup_duration_secs: 0
max_lockup_duration_secs: 2592000
epoch_duration_secs: 86400
initial_lockup_timestamp: 1656615600
min_price_per_gas_unit: 1
allow_new_validators: true

For save Press only : then w without move and press Enter

Output

For quit press : then q and finally press Enter

Output

Part7: Framework

Build AptosFramework Move bytecode and copy into the framework folder

cargo run --release --package framework -- --package aptos-framework --output current
mkdir ~/$WORKSPACE/framework
mv aptos-framework/releases/artifacts/current/build/**/bytecode_modules/*.mv ~/$WORKSPACE/framework/
mv aptos-framework/releases/artifacts/current/build/**/bytecode_modules/dependencies/**/*.mv ~/$WORKSPACE/framework/

Output

Now press Enter

Output

Part8: Compile genesis

Compile genesis blob and waypoint with this comand:

cargo run --release -p aptos -- genesis generate-genesis --local-repository-dir ~/$WORKSPACE --output-dir ~/$WORKSPACE

This will create two files, genesis.blob and waypoint.txt, in your working directory.

And now copy the validator.yaml, fullnode.yaml files into this directory with thos command:

mkdir ~/$WORKSPACE/config
cp docker/compose/aptos-node/validator.yaml ~/$WORKSPACE/validator.yaml
cp docker/compose/aptos-node/fullnode.yaml ~/$WORKSPACE/fullnode.yaml

Output

Part9: Modify the Config

Open your config file

sudo nano /root/testnet/validator.yaml

Output

And now modify the config file to update the key path, genesis file path, waypoint path

Replace the red areas with the information below:

/root/testnet/

After the modification:

Now press CTRL+X

Output

Press Y

Press Enter

Output

Part10:Open ports

Go to the root

cd $home

And use this command

apt install ufw -y 
ufw allow ssh 
ufw allow https 
ufw allow http 
ufw allow 6180 
ufw allow 80 
ufw allow 9101 
ufw allow 181 
ufw allow 182 
ufw allow 8080 
ufw allow 9103 
ufw enable

Press enter

Press y and Enter

Part11: Launch your validator node

Start your local Validator by running the below command:

cd aptos-core

Create a screen session called “aptos-core”

screen -S aptos-core

cargo run -p aptos-node --release -- -f ~/testnet/validator.yaml

Please Wait…

Press Ctrl+A then D

Now you can close Putty

Part12: Check your Validator Node Status

Please click here

Congratulation Everything it’s OK!

Part13: Register your node

Please click here

sudo nano /root/testnet/xxxxxxxxx.yaml replace xxxxxx by your name

If you have a error message. refresh the page and click and secondtim “Validate node” button.

Best of luck.

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Part14: Vote for Dr.Jackal Community

😅

Please click here

See you soon!!!

Thank you for your time, if you like this kind of content, don’t hesitate to check my other articles and my videos on youtube channel.

Discord: Akabane#3147

My Youtube channel

Telegram group

EN Official Announcement canal

FR Officiel canal d’annoncement

Read every story from Dr_jackal (and thousands of other writers on Medium)